Manufacture of carbon-black and hydrogen.



R. F. BACON, B.-T. BROOKS 6L H. CLARK. MANUFACTURE OF CARBON BLACKANDHYDROGEN.

APPLICATION FILED IULY9, 19H- Patented Mar. 27; 1917.

NGR E Nmtk N mN zoiumm I l/VI/EIVTORS.

ATTORIVEY6,

WITNESSES m a. M

i TED TATE FATENT @FFKQE.

RAYMOND F. BACON, BENJAMIN T. BROOKS, AND HUGH CLARK, 0F PITTSBURGH,PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS T0 GULF REFINING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH,PENNSYL- .V A1\TIA, A. CORPORATION OF TEXAS,

MaNUrAcrunE or CARBON-BLACK AND HYDROGEN.

Application filed 111 9, 1914. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, RAYMOND F. BACON, BENJAMIN T.. BRO0KS, and HUGHCLARK, citizens of the United States, all residing in, the city ofPittsburgh, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Manufacture of Carbon-Black andHydrogen; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the in" vention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to the obtaining of a highly superior grade ofcarbon black, and also practically pure hydrogen, by the decompositionof a suitable hydrocarbon into its elemental constituents, theconditions of Working being such as to insure a satisfactory yield ofboth products in a continuous operation. The apparatus employed, thepractice of the invention, is of a character adapted not only to developand maintain the hightemperatures required for the efficient progress ofthe operation, but to withstand,-during long continued use, theexacting'requirements mposed upon it.

We have found hat unless the black produced as one of the products-of,the decomposition is promptly removed from the high temperatures(exceeding 1200 C.) of the heating zone in which the decomposition isproceeding, such carbon black will deteriorate in quality for commercialuses, losing its desired deep black luster, and becoming materiallyduller andgrayer. Accordingly, in the practice of our invention, We soconduct the operation that the particles of carbon black will remainsuspended within and throughout the hydrogen, and we effect thecontinuous removal of the particles of carbon black, by Withdrawing themsimultaneously with the hydrogen from the zone of deomposition.According to our p eferred/practice, this-withdrawal of the p rticles ofcarbon black, While suspended within the hydrogenis effected by thepressure developed within the a paratus due to the flashing of thehydrocar on into its said Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2'2, 191%., 849,882.

construction as to insure that the hydrogen roduced shall not be lostwholly or in part y leakage, and permits conducting it to suitablecontainers without loss. The apparatus embodies, therefore, aconstruction wherein the manufacture of carbon black of the highestquality, and substantially pure hydrogen, maybe successfully carried outin a practical manner. k

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a section, the lefthand end being a vertical section on the line l l while the right handend is a horizontal section on the line 1-1 of an apparatus appropriateto the practice of the invention.

Fig, 2 represents a transverse vertical sectional view thereof.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar. parts in both views.Referring to the drawing, A indicates a gas-tight metal shell or casing,having a gastight cover a removably bolted or otherwise secured thereto,as shown, preferably with the interposition of a suitable compressiblegasket of asbestos, or the like. The casing 1s provided at one end withan exit pipe B for the outflow of the carbon black and hydrogen, and hasan opening at its opposite end closed by the removable gas-tightasbestos board closure 0, which is bolted or otherwise secured to thecasing.

Within the casing is contained a lining of fire-brick 01, and an innerlining of magnesite brick e,-this compound lining serving to out downheat radiation from the internal chamber f. Within the chamber f islocated the heating element employed for decomposing the hydrocarbonsinto the carbon black and hydrogen constituents desired. This heatingelement is made up of a double series of graphlte rings or annular disksh preferably cut in two diametrically, as shown in Fig. 2. These annulardisks abut at one end of the series against the solid through stufiinboxes of the'face plate there rings. Theiasbestos board a is providedwith a face plate '5 bolted .thereto, and,

extend the car on rods 9', each of which is connected to the sameterminal of an electric heating circuit. Suitable provision is made forexerting pressure upon the ends of the .carbon rods 3', so as to forcethem against the blocks g g", -independently of each other. Suitab epressure means for this purpose may consist of a plate is connected bybolts Z to the stufling box or to any other suitable part of the frame,and a screwthreaded rod an adapted to bear upon the outer free end ofthe corresponding rod j,

with the interposition of insulating material, if desired. Each of thecarbon rods 7', may, therefore, be acted upon separately by the pressuredevices and will transmit the pressure to the corresponding block g, 9so that the duty of keeping the upperrow of half disks in contact witheach other and the lower row of half disks in contact with each otherwill be appropriately divided. The

block g 'at theo'pposite end of the series of disks serves as anabutment to-take up the pressure, and is itself connected to theopposite side of the electric heating circuit, by means of a graphite.rod n, which likewise asses through a similar asbestos board andstufling box, and which may also be provided with similar pressuredevices (not shown).

' The hydrocarbon to be decomposed is preferably suppliedas a liquid jetforced in from any suitable source of supply, through the inlet pipe 8,said inlet pipe having a nozzle aperture of appropriate dimensions.

In the preferred form of the apparatus shown, theliquid hydrocarbon isinjected in a thin stream through the inlet pipe 8. .It

immediately enters the decomposition zone of the apparatus, made up ofthe annular walls of the series of graphite rings k, which rings areheated by the electric current to a temperature exceeding 1200 C. andsufficient to flash and decompose the hydrocarbon into its chiefelementary constituents (carbon black and hydrogen). The temperature offlashing or decomposition, and the quantity of liquid hydrocarboninjected are so calibrated to each other and to the dimensions of thedecomposing chamber that the gas pressure developed shall be sufficientto sweepout both of the saidproducts, while the particles of carbonblack are still suspended in the'hydrogen, and without permitting themto settle in the decomposition zone of the apparatus. The staunchcharacter of the metal casing of the apparatus prevents the loss ofhydrogen by leakage and insures its passage from the apparatus withoutloss. The carbon black is deposited in a suitable settlingchamber, orthe like, exterior to the apparatus, and the hydrbgen is carried on to asuitable gas holder or container, as will be fully understood. Thecarbon black recovered is of a black silky luster, appropriate to thebest commercial uses, and the hydrogen is substantially pure.

It will, of course, stead of employing hydrocarbons or a lIllX- ture ofhydrocarbons as the material from which the desired products are to beobtained, any other suitable material containing hydrogen and carbon asits chief elementary constituents may be employed.

be understood that in A leading characteristic of the invention and onewhich is of primary importance for its commercial use consists in thedurability of the wallsof the decomposingzone or heating chamber proper.Ordlnary refractory materials are not suitable for the walls of thisdecomposing zone or chamber may be suflicient to raise it to the mixtureof 50%.of g aphite with a composition made up of ma esite, carborundumor similar material gives good results in the construction of a tubethree feet long and having the other relative dimensions shown in thedrawing.- Where the tube is made up desired temperature. We have foundthat a of rings, as shown in the'drawing, and open at its ends, thefunction of the outer casing is, of course, to serve as a'gas-tight.closure to the decomposition chamber, and the metal shell ofthe casing is protected and insulated from the intense heat of thedecomposition chamber by the intervening bodies of refractory material,a. e. the bricks of magnesite, fire clay, chromium oxid, or the like.

' .The temperature prevailing in the decomposition chamber may be notedin any suitable manner, as, for instance, by a pyr'omee ter indicated att, in Fig. 2.

What we claim is -1. The method of making carbon black and hydrogensimultaneously which consists in exposing a hydrocarbon to a temperaturesufiicient to' flash it into its constituent elements and removing thelatter from the, flashing zone while the carbon black thus produced isstill in suspension in the hydrogen and in such'condition that whendeposited from the hydrogen it will have a deep black luster.

2. The method of making carbon black I In testimony whereof We aflix oursigna- 1(1) and hydrogen simultaneously, which eontures, in presence oftwo Witnesses.

sists in injecting a 'et of li uid h droearbon into a zone ofsufiilciently l iigh t mperature figggk to flash the hydrocarbon intoits elemental HUGH CLARK constituents, and' expelling both constitu-.

ents continuously by the as pressure devel- Witnesses:

oped, while the carbon lack produced is E. 0. ORANGE,

still in suspension in the hydrogen. QUNDRY PURRELL.

